Gburg Atheist

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Music was never a
large part of my life, just was not a big thing in my home while I was growing
up, so I’m learning more about it as I age.Over the past few years, I have become a huge fan of Yusuf Islam (nee
Cat Stevens, nee Steven Demetre Georgiou).I first saw Yusuf at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the
Washington DC mall in the fall of 2010.He performed the song Peace Train,
at the same time Ozzy Osborne was performing Crazy Train.Love the song Peace Train and truly with the
religion Yusuf is part of would take it to heart.

Since that time, I
have posted the link to my Facebook page when it appeared we were going to bomb
Syria.I’ve also played it in my
classroom before classes, asking my kids to listen to the lyrics.The previous days of meanness disappeared... at
least for a while.I still listen to the
Peace Train multiple times a week.

While grading some
papers, another Cat Stevens song came up on Pandora, “On the road to find out,” I’ve heard it
many times, but this time, I listened to the lyrics in earnest, and wow!So incredible!It is the story of a man setting out on a
journey, not physically, but a journey about life and the purpose of his existence.I find the last stanza of the song
fascinating.

Yes, the
answer lies withinSo why not take a look now?Kick out the devil's sinPick up, pick up a good book now

This is obviously an
allusion to the Bible or the Quran, but listening to the song a few more times
today, I see it as picking up a “good book” meaning any book that will improve
yourself, that will answer questions.The good book could be the religious texts, but why not “A
Pale Blue Dot” by Carl Sagan, why not “Tom
Sawyer” by Mark Twain?Many books
have made a great impact on my life, so forever in my mind, that is what I will
think of when I hear “On the road to find out”

While I am not a huge
fan of religion, I can still appreciate the art and music of the
religious.And Yusuf/Cat/Steven, you are
awesome!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Feeling uncomfortable as an atheist, it was a feeling I never
really expected and am pretty sure that I don’t like!And it is happening as part of a job that I
love dearly. I have a tremendous passion
for mathematics and all of its inherent qualities.Among those qualities are critical thinking,
evidence, abstract thought, and actually getting answer that is right or wrong
even though you don’t have to follow the shortest path to get there.

I am an avid teacher, not only of math, but of life.At the time I started teaching, my journey
into atheism was still in its infancy.I
had read god
is not great by the amazing Christopher Hitchens,
Hitchens was a true firebrand atheist and his style appealed to me.I also read The
God Delusion by Richard
Dawkins, a much different style than Hitchens, but never holding anything
back.Since that time I am still an
atheist and outspoken about it, but I am also a humanist and always have been.Phil Plait, The Bad
Astronomer, made the Don’t be a Dick
speech and it is a constant reminder of how
we can learn and teach.

Now, as a teacher in the United States and a true believer of
the constitution, I looked to make a separation of my personal views and not
discuss them with students during the school day or a school function. As much
as I would like to have a captive audience and be a firebrand atheist, my
values and ethics stop me from doing this.I have read about Hemant
Mehta’s approach to this when he is asked by a student about his views, his
reply?“Haven’t done your homework have
you?”I am not Hemant, we have totally
different personalities and I don’t believe I could just deflect the question
like that, it is not me.I certainly
would never initiate the conversation.I
would say that this has been more or less successful.

I have now moved on to another high school, for a multitude of
reasons, being the Varsity Lacrosse Coach the primary one.I had no idea how different the new school
would be to my original. IThe
demographics of the schools match up fairly well so I wasn’t expecting anything
different.However, I have seen something
different, the population of the school is more religious than I had ever
anticipated and as a result, I feel uncomfortable at times. I truly should have known something was up when my team huddled up to pray before several games, hint, it didn't work. I would just turn around and get my game face on cry a little bit on the inside. It is so strange.I am doing nothing different, but am aware of
looks or side conversations, but nothing substantial.

Let me
start by saying, I’m so impressed with the parental involvement at my school,
it is incredible to see so much.I never
would have dreamed it possible, but it is awesome.I am the freshman class sponsor at the
school, and as such, I have responsibilities for the class that meet outside of
the school environs.My car is labeled
with my personal beliefs, humanism, atheism, etc.The parents see this, the students say this,
they do not say anything, there is nothing malicious, but there are times I see
a look or glance.Could I be
paranoid?Possibly, but I don’t think
so.

Will I
change?Should I say something? (I’m
thinking not).In the meantime, I’ll
continue to be the best teacher I can be, teaching my students, my children to
be cool to each other, if they can’t learn the math, perhaps they can learn to
be decent to each other.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

My life changed on
January 10, 1990.I was working at
Université Laval doing some
registration.One of the girls I met
asked me about a good place to go at night, I suggested the Bar L’Etrange on rue St. Jean in Quebec City.Like all great bars there was great music, plenty of hockey on
television, and most importantly, really cheap beer.Later that night, I had forgotten totally I
had told the girl about the bar and just went to watch some hockey and meet up
with some friends.After an hour or so,
in walked the girl I had talked to and with her, the most incredible lady I had
ever seen, and such a great smile!Wow!I still remember that first
time I saw her.Karen, the girl I talked
to, introduced me to Erin, the girl with the amazing smile!We talked, watched some hockey, drank some
beer, apparently I was a little drunk because I said something like “I hate
Americans”, in retrospect, not my best moment, but at least it showed my
honesty.As the evening came to a close,
I asked her to come to a concert with me the following night.She agreed, and told me her room number and
building (dorm) where she was staying so we could make arrangements.I think that she believed there is no way
this drunk will remember that information, but I showed her.

Erin in the tunnels at the Université Laval

What a doofy looking guy!

The next night, I met
Erin at my place, it was safe, I was living with four women and one guy at the
time.We went to the concert; the band
was from Toronto, called the Shuffle Demons.I highly suggest that
you check them out on the youtubes.Being with Erin that night was special, the crowd, a few old Quebecois,
was appalled when the band asked the audience to stand for the national anthem
and they played this.I laughed, Erin chuckled, it was a wonderful
time.

Over the next couple
of weeks, our friendship grew, her smile never failing to make me happy.Erin met my friends, Lorna, Judy, Lisa, and
the rest of my housemates.I found out
later from Erin that these wonderful people said some very nice things about me
and I thank them very much.Fast forward
to Valentine’s day, we went to another pub, there are a lot of those in Quebec
City, the song “California Girls” by the Beach Boys came on, and that is when I first kissed
her.Wow!She had me.I don’t remember the exact date, but it was in March that I asked her to
marry me.I believe her answer was
“yes, but not yet”.

Being an awesome lady,
we she called her parents on April 1st, yes, April fool’s day
to break the news to them.I believe her
mom’s first words were “is he Christian?” Ahh, if only we had known the
future.Erin’s friends and sister had
given their approval, perhaps I am an okay guy.In late April/early May, I was requested to write an essay to Erin’s
father on why I want to be his son-in-law.I was sick with the flu, so with a combination of Neo-Citran (Theraflu
for the Yanks), vodka, and Contact-C, I wrote a heartfelt, stupor filled
letter.Whatever I wrote, it must have
been good enough.

Summer of 1990 - Engagement photo

Fast-forward to
October 12, 1991, autumn is a great time of year.Erin and I grew more and more in love despite
the many miles between us, her in Wooster, Ohio, and me in Toronto,
Ontario.You know, I really don’t recall
much about the wedding, what I do remember is that smile never changed.It was as intoxicating as the first day I met
her.I recently asked Erin about
memories of our wedding day, she said she remembers one thing clearly, a cousin
of hers throwing birdseed landing down her cleavage as we were leaving the
ceremony.Makes me laugh every time she
retells this

Great smile - Toronto (1995)?

Now, 22 years of
marriage, one incredible daughter, four exchange students (son and daughters), multiple
pets, Erin still makes me happy.Her
smile is still incredible.She is simply
the most incredible person I know.She
is smart, oh so smart, so incredibly smart, it is almost scary.She is kind; she will go out of her way to
help anyone.She is the “mom”, there for
any of the kids, ours or borrowed.She
is the example of how people should act around the world.She is a hard worker, while she says she is
not, there is no one else that I would rather have working in my business.She is passionate; about everything she does,
her dancing, her puzzles, her family, everything.She is a role model; Erin makes people around
her better, not by teaching, but by living life.

Sharing with Madster in Halifax

Erin is my wife!I love her more than anything else in this
world!Her smile is still
contagious.She has made me a much
better person than I ever would have been without her.My only wish is to give her more.Perhaps one day.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Food, why is it that I
cannot pass you up?A stale croissant,
cold pizza, PB&J (times 3), anything that is edible, is vulnerable to me
eating it.Binge eating is a scourge
that I cannot avoid. Binge eating is a disorder that professionals, it seems, are not very "expert" on; so I will continue without their help. This is freaking crazy, I am now on Healthy Living 4.0, I had even forgot that there was a healthy
living 3.0, that didn’t even get started.The intention was there, but the follow through was not.

With luck, perseverance,
and the support of family and friends, let us hope that this time around will
be successful.Unfortunately the goal is
much further away this time than other attempts.

From a fitness
standpoint, I have suggested to my lacrosse team that they start weight
training twice a week (Tuesdays/Thursdays), and then do cardio on their off
days.Feeling like an ass after seeing
them work out the first day, I thought to myself I should do something
too.So I do 30 minutes of cardio, then
the resistance training.I’ve noticed
that my players do not lift with me as they do with their friends, and that is
fine.But I have noticed that they are
watching me, so when I am lifting, there is no dogging it (can’t let coach be
seen as not working hard).So this is
truly a positive.

I’ve gone through this
healthy eating shit before and have tried everything.Yes, you skinny people are all experts, I
understand that.So, just doing a good
breakfast, some snacks during the day, and eating dinner before 6 pm.Have no idea what will happen when I’m
encountered with temptation.Do not want
to be a dick and leave a party, or friends, or dinner, or whatever, yet it is
the only way that I don’t binge (assuming I don’t stop for 5000 calories at a
fast food place on the way home).

I’m asking all for
support, tell me if you see me eating if I really need something because I’m
hungry or just filling my face for no reason

Sunday, September 22, 2013

I love posting on Facebook,
particularly, the hypocrisy of religion.Recently, there was a terrible
incident where a priest was caught with his pants down with a 15 year old
boy.Yes, this is a big deal and happens
all time.Being a mathematical/logical
sort of person, a friend gave me the opportunity to point out the No True Scotsman Fallacy.
Usually, not many people comment, but
this time one of my hard core Christian friends commented on this

“…these guys give us genuine believers a bad name”

As I told my friend, I’m
sure they believe just as much as you do.What it comes down to is that the belief is flawed.Just because they do not believe in the same
way you do, does not mean they do not believe.I am also sure that some believers who are the same as my friend, may
not find this incident as egregious (I hope I’m wrong).

What it comes down to,
is we have to be cool to each other.Treat each other with dignity and respect.I will continue to respect you the person,
but I will attack your beliefs, not you.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

I had wanted to attend
an atheist conference for a while, but most were outside of my price range,
distance range, and approval from my family.This time all three conditions aligned and with the approval of my
incredible my wife I was off to the Pennsylvania
Atheist/Humanist Conference in Philadelphia, PA.The event was coordinated by the
PAnonbeleivers, Brian Fields, Margaret Downey, and a host of volunteers.Thank you to all.

Upon arrival at the
hotel, I checked in, then went up to the bar, I then met the first of many
atheists that I have come to know and love, Dan Fincke, of the blog Camels with Hammers.Dan is an awesome man and one of the
friendliest people I have ever met.By
chance, he was drinking with a long time blog “idol” J.T. Eberhard of the What Would J.T. Do blog.There he was sitting in his teemo hat, I was
laughing to myself.How could this get
any better?The first 30 minutes of the
conference and I have met two guys whose writing and opinions I respect
greatly.

The first night of the
conference had a Friggatriskadaekaphobia party, where superstitions would be
cast out forever (wishful thinking).Walking under a ladder to join the party in the room, you were greeted
with tables referencing different superstitions.Around the room, histories of different
superstitions, why is a horseshoe lucky?Why is it good luck to kiss the Blarney Stone?And there was a chance to tempt fate, a
raffle to smash a fairy (piñata) into dust, smash a mirror for seven years bad
luck, throwing your horoscopes in the trash where they belong.Doctors and nurses were on hand with black
cats to cure you of your superstitions.I recognized so many people and could hardly wait to hear them speak the
next day.

Saturday, totally
unaware of what to expect, then came the first speaker, James Croft.Wow!Just wow!Who was this Brit?A humanist who spoke so passionately, if this
was the start, it could only get better.Next, J.T.speaking about being a
firebrand atheist, having a hard time finding the medium between being a
firebrand and Phil Plait’s “Don’t be a Dick”.J.T.s talk was why I became a fan of his
blog, despite this, I am still struggling with being a firebrand and not a dick.

The second part of the
morning was even more impressive, David Tamayo, a Hispanic American, and
president of Hispanic American Freethinkers,
touched me with such a great story of his change to atheism. He talked of
HAFREE and the talks they give to the Hispanic youth in the high schools in Virginia;
I said to myself, I must get them to speak at my school.I have not yet contacted David, but I will be
doing so shortly.

Little that I knew
that a speaker would have my eyeballs sweating (those are not tears), as Tracy
Lockwood shared her story of growing up in a Christian cult in upstate New
York.Oh the things people will do in
the name of religion.So sad, but it is
these type of stories that must be told for change to happen.

Dave Silverman,
president of American Atheists, spoke about
the importance of being an atheist, not agnostic, not humanist, not any
combination of those.I am an atheist
and will say it proudly and loudly.

After Silverman,
something interesting happened, I was getting tired and told myself, I’ll just
listen to the next speaker for five minutes, if no good, I’ll go take a
nap.For the love of the FSM, none of
the speakers sucked!I was
exhausted.But oh it was so worth it.

The night ended with the comedy of Jamy Ian Swiss, Steven Hill, Dave DeLuca,
and a wonderful musical performance by Shelley Segal.

Sunday, came the
authors I had been dying to see and meet.Jerrry DeWitt, author of Hope
after Faith, spoke like no one I have ever heard.I had seen evangelical preachers on
television praising the lord, but Jerry, was speaking to atheism.He had the audience laughing one minute, the
next thing you know, you were sitting almost crying.It is not hard to see how this man could have
been such a power influence in the church.

Amanda Kneif, author
of The
Citizen Lobbyist, spoke to Faith Based Initiatives by the federal and state
governments.You have no idea how much
of our tax payer monies are going to churches without any oversight.Really, it is a disgusting display of how the
religious are helping head towards a theocracy.

Overall, my experience
was fantastic, met so many wonderful people.Confirmed my feelings about bloggers, I am glad I’m such a good judge of
character.I can hardly wait to see some
of these people again.It also reignited
the fire to join the Beltway Atheists again, and become more of an activist.

Thanks to all at the
conference, organizers, speakers, and volunteers.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

I have never been a big fan of scouts.The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) with their disdain for the LGBT community and total shunning of the non-religious, puts them in my eyes as a hate-filled organization.No, not the boys, but the leaders.On the contrary, there are the Girls Scouts of America (GSA), who appear to accept the LGBT community and in fact all member of society, regardless of religion (lack of).My wonderful daughter, the Madster, had some great times with her troops, and I am glad for that.I still had in my mind that they were still a little to right wing for my tastes, overall, I never saw any animosity towards any part of society.

This brings me to the topic of this discussion, a Catholic church in Arlington, Virgina, just a dog-sled ride across the Potomac River, felt it was necessary to kick the local girl scout troop out of their building.You can read about it here. The reason?

In recent years, the Girls Scouts have accepted gay and transgender children into its ranks. They have also provided age appropriate sexual education sometimes in conjunction with Planned Parenthood.

Really?What are the Catholics afraid of?Some young girl might use contraception before marriage?Oh for the love of the flying spaghetti monster.They are teaching the girls about being safe.About being responsible? Would we rather have teenage girls running around getting pregnant, getting STDs?And do not think that Catholic teenage girls are chaste, the Catholic School girls when I was growing up were always great (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).My virtual blogger friend J.T. Eberhard, sums it up quite nicely.“Want to know the fastest way to get kicked out of a church of the most loving religion? By failing to discriminate”

What I would like to see are my religious friends in this area talk to their church leaders and ask them to denounce the message of the Catholic Church.Usually, I just say it is their wacky religion, but in this case, they are harming children…knowingly.And I refuse to not say anything about it.

About Me

A father with a passion to see my daughter grow up a great person. A husband to the most incredible wife ever! A math teacher with a desire to see kids succeed. A citizen of this planet with an aspiration to see humanity succeed and just be cool to each other.